Easel



March 7, 1933. J WATSQN I 1,900,375

EASEL Filed Oct. 21 1932 INVENTOR u'O/IN W4 7'50 A RNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1933 sum-rho STATES PATENT oFFisE JOHN WATSON, PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB; TO SWEENEY LITHOGR-APHOQ, I

INCL, OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK EASEL Application filed October 21, 1932. Serial No. 638,889.

The objects of this invention are to provide an easel for supporting flexible posters, which will be particularly simple in con struction, inexpensive in cost, foldable into small compact form adapted to be rolled and shipped with the poster with which it is to be used and of a design which can be quickly set up to support the poster in proper shape.

The various novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts by which the foregoing objects are attained are set forth in the following specification, broadly covered in the claims and illustrated by way of typical examples in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the easel shown in its position of use supporting a flexible poster.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the easel structure as folded in its compact form for shipment.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the easel as embodied in a somewhat different form and shown in its position of use.

Fig. 4 is a view of the latter embodiment as folded for shipment or the like. In Figs. 1 and 3, an ordinary flexible poster is illustrated at 5, having the'usual upper and lower edge strips 6, 7. These edge strips are pierced or socketed at 8, 9, to receive the ends of the easel structure.

The easel consists, in the embodiments illustrated, of three pieces of fairly stiff but somewhat springy wire hingedly looped together in end-to-end relation, so as to constitute the base and supporting portions of an easel-like structure.

The base member is designated 10 and is shown as a relatively short rod or length of wire having a straight part at oneend to enter the socket 9 in the basestrip of the poster and having a loop 11 at the other end to form part of thehinge connection with the upright or supporting portion. In the position'of use, as shown in Fig. 1, this loop occupies a downwardly turned position, forming a rest engaging the floor or other supporting surface.

The other portion of the easel is shown as consisting of the two somewhat longer rods or lengths ofwire 12, 13, the first of these, in the Fig. 1 form of the invention, extending through the loop 11 of the base piece 10 and having at its lower end an acutely angled loop 14, engaged about the base piece 10 and the second being hinged to the end the loop and thence bent angularly at 17 across the intermediate portion of the loop to serve as a pintle for the loop or eyelet 18, formed at the upper end of the lower member 12.- The eyelet 18 is confined within the loop 15 and thelatter therefore serves as a guide,cooperating with the p intle 17, to make the two parts hinge in a single plane and to hold them substantially in alignment when extended as in Fig. 1.

The lower end portion 19 of the hinge loop 15, serves as a stop engaged by the rod 12 in the Fig. 1 position to limit the further hinging movement of the two members and thus make of the two the eqiuvalent of a single supporting rod. This same View shows how the loops 11, 14, of the bottom brace and upright or supporting member 12 cooperate to limit the relative hinging movement of these two members and thus hold them interlocked to support the poster in its extended relation.

Fig. 2 shows how the two parts 12, 13 of the upright can be hinged back upon each other in substantial parallelism and how the base member 10 can be slid through the angled loop 14 of the lower upright member, with its loopll sliding over that member, to carry the base member in substan tial parallelism with the other members.

This view also shows how, with the loop 11 made large enough, said loop may be passed over the free end of member 13, to secure said member in the folded position. Also this view illustrates the purpose of the acutek 1y angled bend or offset 20 near the free end of the base member and which, as it slips into the loop 1 1, interlocks therewith as a retainer for holding the sliding member 10 in its innermost folded position. The sliding member is thus utilized for confining the two hingedly connected members and is in turn retained by one of those members for releasably securing all the parts in their folded condition.

To unfold the easel, it is merely necessary to draw out the sliding member 10 through the loop let, Fig. 2, this loop in conjunction with the loop 11, sliding over the member 12 directing the two parts slidingly and hingedly into the angled relation shown in Fig. 1. In this sliding action, the loop 11 releases the part 13 and this can then be hinged into the generally straight line position shown in Fig. 1.

In the Fig. 3 construction, the sliding action is done away with and the parts are simply hingedly' connected. Thus the base member 10 and lower upright member 12 simply have flat loops 21, 22, pivotally secured in face-to-face engagement by a through rivet 23 and confining washer 24 and the members'12, 13, have the pivot loops 25, 26, confined in flat face-to-face engagement by rivet 27 and washer 28.

Over extension of the hinging action between the thus pivotally connected members is prevented by a lug 29, turned angularly from the loop 21 of base member 10 and a similar lug 30 turned angularly from the loop 25 of member 12, these being positioned to serve as hinge stops, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that stop lugs 29 and 30 do not interfere with the pivoting action of the members in a folding direc tion, Fig. 1, but come into service to prevent hinging movements in the unfolding direction beyond the limits indicated in Fig. 3.

The second form of the easel is collapsed by simply hingingback the parts 10, 13,

pivoted to the opposite ends of the intermediate part 12 and it will be seen that in this folded condition, the easel takes up but small space and is of an overall length such as can usually be rolled up with the poster with which it is to be used.

In bothforms of the invention disclosed, the easel can be quickly set up or taken down by simple hinging or hinging and sliding movements, the parts are permanently connected and so can not becomelost, the hinge loops on the ends of the Wires can be produced inexpensively by simple bending operations and the structures as a whole are simple, inexpensive and entirely practical. For small or short posters, the upright may be made in a single piece instead of in two relatively foldable parts as illustrated. Others changes all within the broad scope and true intent of the invention may be made, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An easel for flexible posters, comprising lengths of wire having hinge loops at ends of the same and pivotally connecting them with freedom for hinging movement in one direction to a position of substantial parallelism and limited freedom for hinging movement in the opposite direction and a third length of Wire hingedly connected with the free end of one of said first mentioned lengths of wire by hinge loops permitting only limited hinging movement in one direction and hinging movement in the opposite direction to a position of substantial parallelism to the other lengths of wire.

2. An easel for flexible posters, comprising three lengths of wire hingedly connected in end-to-end relation and having at said hinge connections freedom for movement to bring the three lengths into substantial parallelism and movement in the opposite direction limited to retain the members in easel formation.

3. An easel for flexible posters, comprising an intermediate rod and other rods hingedly connected to the opposite ends of the same, said hinge connections including means limiting hinging movements in one direction but permitting free hinging movements in the opposite direction.

4. An easel for flexible posters, comprising an intermediate member, an end member hingedly connected with one end of said intermediate member and having limited hinging movement thereon in one direction, an end member having a hinging and sliding connection with the opposite end of said intermediate member and having restricted hinging movement in one direction, said end members having free end portions engageable with the edge strips of a flexible poster.

5. An easel for flexible posters, comprising lengths of wire having angled loops at the ends of the same and each connected with the loop of one member sliding over the length of the other member and said loops cooperating to limit the relative hinging movement of the two lengths of wire and said lengths of wire at the free ends of the same being adapted for detachable engagement with the edge strips of a flexible poster.

6. An easel for flexible posters, comprising lengths of wire having angled loops at the ends of the same and each connected with the loop of one member sliding over the length of the other member and said loops cooperating to limit the relative hinging movement of the two lengths of wire, and including a third length of wire hingedly connected to the end of one of said first mentioned lengths of wire.

ing a support consisting of lengths of wire,

one having an elongated loop at one end, with the material of said loop extended parallel with one side of the loop and projected angularly across the intermediate portion of the loop and the other length of wire having an eyelet bent thereon, centered in the loop of the first wire and pivotally engaged over the angularly rojectin portion aforesaid.

8. An easel or flexible posters, comprising a support consisting of lengths of wire, one having an elongated loop at one end, with the material of said loop extended parallel with one side of the loop and projected angularly across the intermediate portion of the loop and the other length of wire having an eyelet bent thereon, centered in the loop of the first wire and-pivotally engaged over the angularly projecting portion aforesaid, one end portion of said loop engageable as a stop by the other wire member to limit hinging movements of the two.

9. In combination with a flexible poster having edge strips, an upright supporting member for the same, comprisinghingedly conected wire members having a limited relative hinging movement and arranged one for engagement with one of the edge strips of the poster and a brace member comprising a wire connected to the lower end of the lower wire support member by a limited motion hinge and having an end portion detachably engageable with the other edge strip of the poster.

10. An easel for flexible posters, compris ing an intermediate and two end lengths of wire, said intermediate length having fiat loops at opposite ends of thesame, the end lengths havin flat loops in face-to-face engagement wit the loops of the intermediate length, flanged means confining the thus engaged loops in pivotal relation and stop means limiting the pivotal action of said end lengths in respect to said intermediate length of wire.

11. An easel for flexible posters, comprising a rod having one end for detachable engagement with one edge strip of a flexible poster and having an angularly turned loop at its opposite end, a supporting rod extending slidably through said 100p and having at one end an angularly turned loop slidably engaged over the length of thefirst rod and means at the opposite end of said supporting rod for engagement with the opposite edge strip of a flexible poster.

12. An easel for flexible posters, comprising a rod having one end for detachable engagement with one edge strip of a flexible poster and having an angularly turned loop at its opposite end, a supporting rod extending slidably through said loop and having at one end an angularly turned loop slidably engaged over the length of the first rod, means at the opposite end of said supporting rod for engagement with the opposite edge strip'fof a'flexible poster and one of said rods having an oifset'portion cooperable with theloop on the other rod to retain the rods in position engaged one over the other. 1

13. fin-easel for flexible .posters, comprising a rod having one end for detachable engagement with one edge strip of a flexible poster and having an angularly turned loop at its opposite end, a supporting rod extending slidably through said loop and having at one end an angularly turned loop slidably engaged over the length of the first rod, means at the opposite end of said supporting rod for engagementwith the opposite edge strip of a flexible poster, said two rods having cooperating interlocking portions engageable in the sliding movement of the rods one over the other to retain the same in such relation.

14. An easel for flexible posters, comprising a rod having one end for detachable engagement with one edge strip of a flexible poster and having an angularly turned loop at'its opposite end, a supporting rod extending slidably through said loop and having at one end an angularly turned loop slidably engaged over the length of the first rod, means at the opposite end of said supporting rod for engagement with the opposite edge strip of a flexible poster, said means for engaging the opposite edge strip of a poster including a hingedly connected extension rod foldable against said second rod and the oversliding loop of the first rod being large enough to pass over said folded extension rod and thereby to retain thesame in folded relation.

15. An easel for flexible posters, comprising a brace engageable at one end with the bottom edge strip of a flexible poster and having an angularly turned loop at its opposite end fa'ced downwardly to form a rest engageable with a supporting surface and a supporting rod having means at one end for engagement with the upper edge strip of a flexible poster, said supporting rod being slidable through the downwardly extending loop of the brace rod and having at its end a loop slidable over the length of said brace rod.

16. An easel for flexible posters, comprising end-{connected rods having means at their free ends engageable with opposite edge strips of a flexible poster, said rods having loops at their connected ends and arranged with the loop of one rod slidably surrounding the length of the other rod, whereby said rods may be slid together, one over the other and one of the rods having an oflset therein adaptable for engagement in the surrounding loop of the other rod, whereby to releasably retain the rods in definite slid together relation.

17. An easel for flexible posters, comprising a support consisting of rod-like members, one having a longitudinally extended elongated loop at one end and terminating in a pintle portion angularly related to said elongated loop and the other rod-like memher having an eyelet formed thereon, pivotally engaged over said pintle and received in the elongated loop of the first member and thereby centered and guided longitudinally in respect to said first member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN WATSON. 

